LAST UPDATED: 11/23/2015
This page intentionally left blank.
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
PLAN APPROVAL
The Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003 requires that the following entities must mutually agree to the final contents of a CWPP: the applicable local government (i.e., counties or cities); the local fire department(s); and the state entity responsible for forest management. The following entities have approved the 2015 Update to the Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan:
Agency Signature Date Arizona State Forestry Department United States Forest Service Globe Fire Department Tonto Basin Fire Department Tri-City Fire Department San Carlos Apache Fire Department
Final Approval by:
Agency Signature Date Gila County Office of Emergency Management Gila County Board of Supervisors
Plan Approval i | Page
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
This page intentionally left blank.
Plan Approval ii | Page
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Plan Approval ...... i Section I: Introduction ...... 1 Section II: Community Assessment ...... 9 A. Canyon Fire Department ...... 10 B. City of Globe and Globe Fire Department ...... 11 C. Hayden Community and the Hayden Fire Department ...... 13 D. San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation and the San Carlos Apache Fire Department .... 14 E. The Miami Fire Department ...... 15 F. American Red Cross, Northern Arizona Chapter ...... 16 G. Arizona Department of Transportation ...... 17 H. Arizona Public Service (APS) ...... 18 I. Arizona State Forestry Department ...... 19 J. Community of Tonto Basin and the Tonto Basin Fire District ...... 20 K. Community Emergency Response Team ...... 22 L. Gila County Office of Emergency Management ...... 23 M. Gila County Public Works Division, Road Maintenance Department ...... 26 N. Gila County Sheriff’s Office-Globe ...... 27 O. Salt River Project ...... 28 P. Tri-City Fire District ...... 29 Q. United States Forest Service (USFS): Tonto National Forest ...... 31 Section III: Community Mitigation Plan ...... 38 Section IV: Southern Gila County CWPP Priorities: Action Recommendations and Implementation ...... 43 Section V: Monitoring Plan ...... 49 Appendix A: Acronyms ...... A-1 Appendix B: Wildland Urban interface “watch-outs!” ...... B-1 Appendix C: Agency updates ...... C-1
Table of Contents iii | Page
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
This page intentionally left blank.
Table of Contents iv | Page
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) SECTION I: INTRODUCTION
The Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) was originally developed in 2010 in response to the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003 for at-risk cities and communities in Southern Gila County, Arizona. The Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2003 points to increased federal emphasis on reducing wildfire hazards on federal lands and promoting actions to protect Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) communities1. HFRA established incentives for communities to develop comprehensive wildfire protection plans in a collaborative, inclusive process. The HFRA legislation also directs the United States Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to address local community priorities in fuel reduction treatments. The cities and communities in Southern Gila County are located around public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Tonto National Forest (TNF), and National Park Service (NPS) Tonto National Monument.
The HFRA requires federal agencies to collaborate with communities in developing hazardous fuel reduction projects and places a priority on treating areas covered by a CWPP. Completing a CWPP required the development and agreement of local government, local fire departments, and districts, federal agencies, and the state agency responsible for forest management. In Arizona, that state agency is the Arizona State Forestry Division (ASFD). For the initial 2010 CWPP to remain current, Gila County Department of Emergency Management (GCDHES) initiated a process of reviewing and updating the 2010 CWPP. A “Review Team” of key stakeholders was engaged in the spring of 2015 to begin the review and update process.
A. Background
The 2010 Southern Gila County CWPP was developed by a “Core Team” of members of local fire departments and districts, local governmental agencies, BLM, TNF, NPS, ASFD and interested community members. The Gila County Department of Emergency Management (GCDHES) was designated the lead agency and was responsible for maintaining records and mitigation action results. The 2010 CWPP incorporated all at-risk communities in southern Gila County, and defined and located interface and intermix communities in the planning area.
The primary objectives of the 2015 Update to the Southern Gila County CWPP are to: identify any at-risk communities or areas that were not identified in the initial Southern Gila County wildfire assessment, to document changes in community hazards and values at risk, and to recognize community activities related to reducing the threat of wildfire and efforts to improve public and firefighter safety. The CWPP review was completed by a “Review Team” with representatives from several of the Southern Gila County communities identified in the original CWPP. The
1 Terry Haines, Cheryl Renner, Margaret Reams, and James Granskog. The National Wildfire Mitigation Programs Database: State, County, and Local Efforts to Reduce Wildfire Risk.
Section I: Introduction 1 | Page
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
“Review Team” also included representatives from local fire departments, government agencies and community groups including Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
The 2015 Review Team met and discussed the goals for fuels treatment projects, potential fire department and agency improvements, and community preparedness recommendations established in 2010. Another critical element for the Review Team was to determine if the fuels treatment and readiness project priorities remained the same as when they were established in 2010.
The 2015 Review Team analyzed the reported wildfire ignitions in Southern Gila County and determined that there have been over 1028 reported wildfire ignitions in Southern Gila County CWPP area in the 5-year period following the completion of the Southern Gila County CWPP in 2010. The majority of the ignitions have occurred along roadways and the WUI areas, and were human caused. The second leading source of ignitions is lightning. Major fires have been occurring throughout Arizona with increased frequency following a continual drought and wildland fuel buildup. Major fires that have occurred in Arizona since the 2010 CWPP was written include the Schultz, Horseshoe 2, Monument, Wallow, Gladiator, and Yarnell Hill fires. All but the Yarnell Hill fire were human caused. The Wallow Fire in 2011 is the largest fire in Arizona history and burned over 538,000 acres. The Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013 took the lives of 19 firefighters and caused the loss of 129 homes and structures. The Yarnell Hill Fire was started by lightning.
Section I: Introduction 2 | Page
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
Map 1. Southern Gila County Fires Since 2010
Recent notable fires in Gila County include the Poco Fire in 2012 north of Young, the Mistake Peak fire in 2012, the Bull Flat Fire, and the Tanner Fire south of Young in 2011. One of the critical elements in firefighter safety that poses an extreme hazard to personnel is the exposure of the firefighters to extreme environmental conditions. Two firefighters were transported by helicopter suffering from heat exhaustion after working shifts on the Mistake Peak and 257 fires in Gila County. Forest Service personnel began focusing their efforts on reducing heat related injuries to firefighting personnel on fires occurring in the region, state and nationally. These efforts include recognizing the operational challenges of managing an Incident-Within-An- Incident and the impacts on firefighter safety and operations.
The map above was developed from Tonto Basin fire statistics and further demonstrates the high risk of fires along the Highway 188 corridor. Recognizing the danger, ongoing development of wildfire mitigation measures along the highway will continue to be a major area of emphasis for the Forest Service and Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).
Section I: Introduction 3 | Page
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
Map 2.Large Scale Fires in Southern Gila County
Table 1. Gila County Major Wildland Fires
Incident Name Year Location Acreage Poco 2012 N. of Young 11,897 Mistake Peak 2012 N. of Punkin Center 5,216 Bull Flat 2012 N. of Young 1,573 Tanner 2011 N. of Roosevelt Lake 5,455 Frio 2011 S. Of Miami 3,965 Source US Forest Service
B. WUI Identification Process
In 2009, the Arizona State Forestry Department under the direction of the Governor of Arizona, issued an Arizona-Identified Communities at Risk rating for nearly 200 communities located throughout the State. These communities were given WUI ratings, with 39 communities located in Gila County. The ratings were based on the following criteria: Fire Behavior Potential, Social, Cultural and Community Factors, Fire Protection Capability
Section I: Introduction 4 | Page
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
Based on the three evaluation criteria, each community was given a Risk of Catastrophic Fire rating. The 2010 Core Team further evaluated communities in Southern Gila County and added an additional 8 communities that were at-risk of wildfire devastation to the Southern Gila County CWPP Communities At-Risk.
The task of the 2015 Review Team required members to consider community safety needs along with the requirements of the HFRA including the fuels condition class, fire regime, resource management plans, and Federal Land exclusions, including Wilderness areas. The committee determined that no further areas or communities met the definitions of the HFRA. The Review Team did recommend moving the community of Young and the Pleasant Valley Fire department to the Northern Gila County CWPP planning area. The team also reviewed the Gila County CWPP’s compliance with State, BLM, TNF, NPS and tribal government objectives for the lands administered by each agency.
Table 2. Southern Gila County Communities at Risk
Community WUI Risk Fire District/Department Claypool Moderate Tri-City Fire Department Cutter Moderate San Carlos Reservation Fire Department Dripping Springs Low None El Capitan High None Globe Moderate Globe Fire department Haigler Canyon Moderate None Hayden Low Hayden Fire Department Miami Moderate Miami Fire Department Nail Ranch Moderate None Rose Creek-YMCA High None San Carlos High San Carlos Reservation Fire Department Tonto Basin-Roosevelt Moderate Tonto Basin Fire Department Top of the World₁ High None Winkelman Moderate Winkelman Fire Department
Section I: Introduction 5 | Page
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
The 2015 Review Team monitored changes in wildfire suppression policy on Federal lands where Federal policy allows the return of natural fire to areas where fuel conditions have returned to a more normal fuel condition. Human caused fires will continue to be suppressed at the lowest possible cost while natural occurring fires may be monitored and managed with the goal of returning public lands to historic conditions where possible. Factors such as fire weather conditions, topography, fuel conditions and other fire suppression activities will help determine the response and actions taken on wildland ignitions.
The 2015 Review Team set a goal for the private lands in the CWPP planning area to have landowners meet the standards listed in the Firewise Communities Program. “The Firewise Communities/USA Recognition Program is a process that empowers neighbors to work together in reducing their wildfire risk… taking action and ownership in preparing and protecting their homes against the threat of wildfire.2” The Arizona State Forestry Department administers the Firewise certification program “The Firewise Communities approach emphasizes community responsibility for planning in the design of a safe community as well as effective emergency response, and individual responsibility for safer home construction and design, landscaping and maintenance.3” The Review Team was tasked with monitoring the approval process for obtaining Firewise status in the planning area.
C. Goals of the Southern Gila CWPP
The 2010 CWPP Core Team developed nine goals to assist in community and organizational planning. These goals were approved by the 2015 Review Team. Improve fire prevention and suppression, emphasizing firefighter and public safety Reduce hazardous fuels, emphasizing public and private property protection; Restore forest, rangeland, and riparian health; Promote community involvement and provide for community protection; Recommend measures to reduce structural ignitability in the WUI; Encourage economic development in the communities from vegetative treatments;
2 http://firewise.org/usa-recognition-program.aspx?sso=0 3 Firewise Communities®- A Use Guide to the Firewise Community/USA Recognition Program
Section I: Introduction 6 | Page
Southern Gila County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)